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How much difference does high viz clothing make?

HappyHighwayman

HappyHighwayman

It's all in the reflexes
Joined
Apr 8, 2009
Location
San Francisco
Moto(s)
Rad Rover
Name
Jordan
My Tourmaster textile pants have been sent back to the company I bought them from because the zipper on one of the legs broke, and the company has excellent customer service (www.motorcyclegear.com). As a result, I've switched from my high visibility Tourmaster jacket to my original Tourmaster 1-piece riding suit until I get the pants back.

Made me realize, I really like the 1 piece suit...the reason I stopped wearing it was because while it's good for commutes but annoying for road trips because I'd need to take the whole thing off (vs. being able to just remove a jacket).

The problem: The suit is grey, which clearly makes me look a lot cooler since my bike is graphite and my helmet grey, I'm now worried I'm much less visible. As I commute ~44 miles a day (round trip) I try and stay as safe as possible regardless of what I look like.

Should I just get a high-viz vest to throw over the suit? How much of a difference does high-viz make?
 
I believe there's some data somewhere that indicates that the Hi-Viz color does make a difference and in my book, every little bit helps.
 
I was just thinking about this last week as I was driving towards the Caldecott Tunnel. Coming from the other direction were lots of cars exiting the tunnel, when BLAMMO a motorcyclist exited the tunnel wearing a high-viz jacket. Instant detection from the eyes, the color stands out so brightly. :thumbup
 
They have to looking for it to work.. ;) No lookie, no workie..
 
Get a brighter helmet first.

The one in your avatar blends right in with the background.

I can't back it up with any acceptable evidence, but it is my opinion that a bright helmet makes the biggest difference in making you visible to those drivers who are most likely to cross your path. I've ridden with my sons when they were wearing red, yellow, and fluorescent yellow helmets. Looking back in my mirrors, the yellow shows up considerably better than the red, and the fluorescent yellow quite a bit better than that.

If you don't like yellow, at least consider something like the helmet that Eugene Laverty wears in WSBK, which at least has some good contrast and is still likely to stand out from the background.
 
ScottRNelson said:
Get a brighter helmet first.

The one in your avatar blends right in with the background.

I can't back it up with any acceptable evidence, but it is my opinion that a bright helmet makes the biggest difference in making you visible to those drivers who are most likely to cross your path. I've ridden with my sons when they were wearing red, yellow, and fluorescent yellow helmets. Looking back in my mirrors, the yellow shows up considerably better than the red, and the fluorescent yellow quite a bit better than that.

If you don't like yellow, at least consider something like the helmet that Eugene Laverty wears in WSBK, which at least has some good contrast and is still likely to stand out from the background.
Click to expand...

I believe I read that there is a correlation (but not causation) between riders that wear white helmets and less accidents.
 
HappyHighwayman said:
....

How much of a difference does high-viz make?
Click to expand...

How much would be enough to sway you?

Would "some" difference be enough?

Mentally, you'd feel much more visible... that's enough, right?
 
I like Hi-Viz. My riding friends says they can see me a long way off.
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Rob said:
How much would be enough to sway you?

Would "some" difference be enough?

Mentally, you'd feel much more visible... that's enough, right?
Click to expand...

I'm already swayed. I'm just temporarily riding non-viz until I can switch back to the jacket :)
 
I would worry about riding at night though, drunks love driving into bright things.
 
Know how many SMIDSY's I've had in 4,000 miles in Germany, France, Switzerland, the UK and Ireland, on a silver bike with a black jacket & helmet, including about eleventy hundred roundabouts?

About 3, and none of them major.

High viz only works if they're looking.
 
I'd throw a cheap ANSI vest over the grey suit and wear a white or high-viz helmet. I have no statistical data, but lots of daily anecdotal evidence, that a high-viz vest and bright helmet helps with not being crashed into. In fact I won't lane-split without that combination anymore. The only thing that gets hurt is your pride, and once you're off the bike you can roll up the vest and hide it real quick, and look cool in your all black leathers or whatever. Hard to hide a high-viz helmet though. Caveat you can wrap your bike in Christmas lights and some people won't see you.
 
From the Hurt study:

"Conspicuity of the motorcycle is a critical factor in the multiple vehicle accidents, and accident involvement is significantly reduced by the use of motorcycle headlamps (on in daylight) and the wearing of high visibility yellow, orange or bright red jackets."

More good stuff from Hurt:

"The motorcycle conspicuity problem is serious. The violation of the
motorcycle right-of-way by the other vehicle accounted for 64.7% of the
multiple vehicle accidents. The failure of the other driver to "see" the
motorcycle is the overwhelming part of these accidents. Any malicious and
deliberate action of the other driver to "attack" the motorcycle rider is
negligible in comparison to those fundamental detection failures; only two
67 of the 900 on-scene, in-depth cases involved an aggressive, malicious attack
on the motorcycle rider and both were husband-wife disputes."

LA in the '70s FTMFW! :laughing

Here's the problem, though--conspicuity is mostly an issue in the head-on type crashes on surface streets, where the motorcycle is approaching the car. In that case, if you are on a bike with a fairing or high windscreen, the car driver won't really see your clothes. I think a high-vis helmet is way, way more effective than high-vis clothing, though doing both is definitely a good thing. But if you wear a hi-viz jacket and a black/grey/otherwise blending-in kind of helmet, there's not much point.
 
My problem with Hi-Viz:

The person wearing may subconsciously (or consciously) feel like they will be seen while wearing it; thus, will not implement basic anti having-a-left-turner-turn-left-RIGHT-IN-FRONT-OF-YOU moves!

For example, swerving a bit from side to side as you approach that suspicious left-turner who seems to be waiting for you to pass.

However, we don't always see left-turners - so having something brighter can't hurt.

Except, possibly, with the ladies. Hard to be a bad-ass in Hi-Viz...
 
Gabe said:
...if you are on a bike with a fairing or high windscreen, the car driver won't really see your clothes. I think a high-vis helmet is way, way more effective than high-vis clothing...
Click to expand...

Agree.

WWWobble
 
Some older guy walked into cycle gear wearing high-viz stuff and my mind automatically went "BMW rider"

And then I went, no, I'm terrible for stereotyping my fellow riders like that. We're all in this together and to each their own, right?


Bought my stuff, walked outside to my bike

right next to it?

motherfucking bmw

goddammit



As for the actual topic, I can't honestly say whether or not I notice people in hi-viz gear more because as a rider, I actively look for motorcycles. I will say that I've been caught off guard by riders in near urban camo gear with flat black bikes before.
At night, reflective gear helps a TON. Seriously if you ride at night/dusk a lot, reflective is the way to go. Immediately eye-catching because it appears suddenly when the light hits it.
 
Huge difference. I won't ever ride without hi-viz again (track excluded), or at least bright colors like white.

My helmet is white and my jacket is hi-viz. I've not been cut-off once in the past year (~5000 miles) that I've had this outfit. Not. Once.
 
Terminal G said:
My problem with Hi-Viz:

The person wearing may subconsciously (or consciously) feel like they will be seen while wearing it; thus, will not implement basic anti having-a-left-turner-turn-left-RIGHT-IN-FRONT-OF-YOU moves!
Click to expand...

Highly unlikely to happen. I don't know of anyone who rides more carelessly because of some safety device. And besides, riders who are most likely to wear Hi-Viz are probably, as a group, the most aware and most skilled riders out there. For them, they're just increasing their odds and sure as hell aren't going to let down their guard any.
 
ST Guy said:
Nice boots! :teeth
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Those are Hi-Speed racing sandles:teeth

Terminal G said:
My problem with Hi-Viz:

The person wearing may subconsciously (or consciously) feel like they will be seen while wearing it; thus, will not implement basic anti having-a-left-turner-turn-left-RIGHT-IN-FRONT-OF-YOU moves!

For example, swerving a bit from side to side as you approach that suspicious left-turner who seems to be waiting for you to pass.

However, we don't always see left-turners - so having something brighter can't hurt.

Except, possibly, with the ladies. Hard to be a bad-ass in Hi-Viz...
Click to expand...

Not a chance I still ride like I am invisible and if they could see me would want to hit me.
 
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